Ed Fries Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 It took me about a year to put together this (what I think is) complete collection of gatefold Atari 8-bit "EA Flats". There are 23 in all. Atarimania lists 22 between games and utilities but seems to forget about "Cut & Paste". Some sites claim "Mind Mirror" exists for the Atari but after talking to some experts I believe they are mistaken. Only a few are MIB. I guess that's the next challenge for me... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Wow, that is fantastic! I have a pile of these, but nowhere near a complete set. I need to file this away for reference. ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobus Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 Very nice! - I have the same set and can confirm that there are only 23. There are however a few packaging variations - there are some (Move Maker comes to mind) that have both a bi-fold and a simple sleeve type package. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+orpheuswaking Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 I am Missing 4 D-Bug Worms Music Construction Set (Which I have in the Ariola UK clamshell case version) Realm of Impossibility (Which I have in the Ariola UK small gatefold version) I do have doubles of Movie Maker and Pinball Construction set, both of which are identical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+orpheuswaking Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 Speaking of the Ariola, I wonder how many of those games came in the small gatefold packaging? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+remowilliams Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 I do love those gatefolds... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Fries Posted October 14, 2012 Author Share Posted October 14, 2012 There are however a few packaging variations - there are some (Move Maker comes to mind) that have both a bi-fold and a simple sleeve type package. Everything in the picture is a bi-fold, but I also have the sleeve type for some of them. In general these have an "EA Classics" sticker on them so I assume the sleeves are from the re-release for the classic series, but there are some exceptions. For example I have a "One on One" that is new in shrink wrap sleeve type but doesn't have the classics sticker and in the picture above you can see the "Cut & Paste" has the classics sticker but is the folding variety. BTW I also have a catalog from EA that lists an educational title from Childware (like D-Bug and Word Flyer) for the Atari called "The Lost Lion". I assume this was never produced but if so I guess it would be a holy grail to find for a collector of these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heaven/TQA Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 very very nice... love the LPs of early EA games... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beamer320i Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 Nice collection! I've only just started to collect the EA flats, only have about 12 so far..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bf2k+ Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 This thread made me want to dig up my old ones... I only have 4 that I could find but I bought 7 cities in the 80's - it is around here somewhere. Back in the 80's, the EA packages were always my favorites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjlazer Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 The C64 had a lot of these! I love them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
driph Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 I love the flats, a collection like that would look beautiful up on a wall, but man that lack of a 24th drives the OCD in me nuts. Mail Order Monsters is still one of my all-time favorite games. Talked to Paul Reiche III briefly at GDC this year and learned that he owns the IP rights now. My licensed-game design dream would be to work on a remake of the game, although I suppose Paul's sorta done that already with Skylanders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heaven/TQA Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 is Skylanders on PS3 designed by him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+orpheuswaking Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 I love the flats, a collection like that would look beautiful up on a wall, but man that lack of a 24th drives the OCD in me nuts. You could always throw in one of the other publishers titles that came out in a gatefold maybe chessmaster or GACCRR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
driph Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 is Skylanders on PS3 designed by him? Yep! You could always throw in one of the other publishers titles that came out in a gatefold maybe chessmaster or GACCRR Hmm, or maybe a square sheet, sized correctly, that explains the background behind the album cover releases? Then it'd work similar to a museum placard, and would be a nice bonus for interested viewers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Oberhäuser Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 I love those flat boxes. Here my ever growing collection (mostly C64 though). Actual count: 121 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Android8675 Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 I was working at EA in Foster City, CA (back when they were in Foster City), I think it was in 1998 that their "Warranty" area decided it was time to stop supporting the old 8-bit games, so they dumped about 40 boxes of flat box games out in the hallway. Working in customer support at the time they practically dropped them on my desk. I should of grabbed all of them, but I didn't want to appear greedy. All in all I think I kept about 2 dozen original sealed copies. Not a ton of Atari, mostly C64/Apple ][gs. In hind sight of should of taken at least 1 box. ah well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastRobPlus Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 I should of grabbed all of them, but I didn't want to appear greedy. All in all I think I kept about 2 dozen original sealed copies. Not a ton of Atari, mostly C64/Apple ][gs. In hind sight of should of taken at least 1 box. ah well. While I was working in Xbox, there were always things being thrown out or given away (particularly by marketing) that seemed unremarkable while you are living and breathing that ecosystem every day. I had to reminded myself that with my collector mentality, I might be kicking myself sometime in the far future for not grabbing stuff when it was free and new. So I grabbed everything that was offered and stashed it away. Time will tell if Xbox ever becomes collectible, but it costs only storage space to keep it for now. Back on topic - I think it was the 2005 E3 that EA had all of their flat boxes on display on a giant mural. That's what turned me on to collecting them. I think I have them all now... Wasteland for the Apple, Word Flyer for Atari, and one of the Deluxe Music for Amiga add-on packs were hard to find. Ed - I think I sold you Music Construction Set at SRGE. I recognize the orange sticker on the front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+orpheuswaking Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I love those flat boxes. Here my ever growing collection (mostly C64 though). Actual count: 121 It's a pity the Atari only got a fraction of them 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+remowilliams Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 It's a pity the Atari only got a fraction of them Yeah that still pisses me off / makes me sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobus Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I love the flats, a collection like that would look beautiful up on a wall, but man that lack of a 24th drives the OCD in me nuts. I made a bunch of posters a few years ago including an EA one - I solved my similar OCD issue by inserting screen shots into the corner... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam242 Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I could kick myself for throwing out a half dozen or so of these (along with a bunch of other original boxes) during a move 20 or so years ago. Beautiful collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+orpheuswaking Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I made a bunch of posters a few years ago including an EA one - I solved my similar OCD issue by inserting screen shots into the corner... Great idea Did you get this printed somewhere professionally? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creature XL Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I made a bunch of posters a few years ago including an EA one - I solved my similar OCD issue by inserting screen shots into the corner... Ahhh do you see your (obvious) "mistake" in that picture? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastRobPlus Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I see it too now! I compared to Ed's copy at the start of the thread but that copy does not even have one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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